Florida Ranks 3rd On Inc. 500

Bankers Healthcare Fifth On List

Florida ranks third for fastest-growing companies in the nation, according to the Inc. 500 released today.

California has the largest number of companies on the annual list published by Inc. magazine, while Virginia finished second.

Companies on the Inc. 500 generated 25,180 new jobs in the past year, a 35 percent increase from a year earlier.

Among South Florida companies on the list, Bankers Healthcare Group in Weston tops the rankings at No. 5, with $31.9 million in 2004 revenue. Bankers Healthcare provides working capital to doctors, dentists and other medical professionals.

In Jupiter, health-care staffing company Outsourcing Solutions Inc. is on the list. In West Palm Beach/Palm Beach, the Inc. 500 companies are: Garden of Life, Inc., a manufacturer of nutritional supplements, and Ameritrend Homes in Palm Beach. Nutritional supplement company vitacost.com is the only Boynton Beach firm on the list.

To be eligible for the Inc. 500, companies have to be U.S.-based, independent and privately held through fiscal year 2004, and have at least $500,000 in net sales for 2001. Companies are ranked on three-year sales growth from 2001 to 2004.

Marcia Heroux Pounds can be reached at mpounds@sun-sentinel.com or 561-243-6650.